Space Age

The
production of U.S.
fighter pilot helmets is now as sophisticated as the helmets themselves. The
Department of Defense’s new Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) enables
pilots to direct on-board weapons with high accuracy against enemy aircraft
while performing high-G-force aircraft maneuvers. The new JHMCS includes
critical foam ear pad spacers, which were previously manufactured in a
time-consuming manual process. Recently, Atlanta-based Fabrico, one of North America’s largest design and manufacturing firms
specializing in flexible materials, took over production of these foam spacers.
The company uses an automated process to perform crucial slitting, die-cutting,
and lamination operations, which makes production faster and improves quality.

Foam Spacers Critical to JHMCS Performance

Currently used by U.S. fighter pilots, the JHMCS
combines several different technologies for more effective combat operations.
The system features a magnetic helmet-mounted tracker that determines the
direction in which the pilot’s head is turned. To aim and fire a missile,
pilots simply turn their heads in the direction of the target and press a
switch on the flight controls.

In addition, the helmet system includes a miniature display that projects such
data as altitude, air speed and target range onto the pilot’s visor. Pilots
receive this information while remaining in the “heads-up” position during
combat, allowing them to keep visual contact with a target.

To help ensure that JHMCS helmets remain comfortably positioned on pilots’
heads, Fabrico provides a set of ear-pad spacers that ship to the helmet
manufacturer in a pre-assembled kit. These create a space between a helmet’s
ear-pad cup and the inside surface of the helmet. The spacers are available in
two different thicknesses, which can be mixed and matched to create a
customized fit.

Manual Assembly: Costly and Time-Consuming

Each spacer consists of a piece of foam sandwiched between
two pieces of Velcro® that attach the spacer to the
helmet and the ear-pad cup. During the spacer manufacturing process, adhesives
are used to attach the foam to the Velcro.

Previously, the
spacers were assembled in a mostly manual process. Standing at a large table,
workers cut large pieces of foam into 6-inch-wide strips. Then they removed
Velcro from a reel, peeled the adhesive backing off the foam and Velcro, and
pressed the materials together using a hand roller, with the adhesive sides
facing each other. Next, Velcro was attached to the other side with glue and
pressed on with the roller. When the materials were ready for die cutting,
workers used a clicker press with a single die to cut out one spacer at a time.

This process was both labor-intensive and time-consuming. Seeking a better
alternative, the manufacturer turned to Fabrico.

Converting the Process

Before spacer production could begin, Fabrico set up a
process that would achieve manufacturing objectives. During this preliminary
stage, manufacturing engineers determined the proper sequence of operations and
the amount of time each operation required, as well as the equipment needed for
the job. Key to the process was custom tooling used to die cut the foam into
oval-shaped spacers. Produced with a tolerance of ±0.005 inch for the oval
shape, the tooling was made to meet the exacting requirements of the job.

With plans and equipment in place, spacer production began. The Fabrico process
includes several steps. First, the company buys the charcoal ester foam sheets
needed for the job in 1/4- and 1/8-inch thicknesses to produce spacers of two
different sizes. Next, foam sheets are spliced together and wound into a roll
using a 60-inch-wide laminator. After this, workers use a tape slitter to cut
the foam sheets into three-inch-wide strips with a tolerance of ±1/16 inch.
Next, the three-inch strips are placed between adhesive-covered strips of
Velcro measuring two inches wide. Finally, foam and Velcro are fed into a
rotary die-cutting machine, which first laminates the materials and then cuts
out multiple spacers in a single pass. The machine holds a tolerance of ±1/8
inch on the length of the finished product.

During production, Fabrico follows stringent quality-control procedures
consistent with the helmet manufacturer’s ISO certification. For example, the
firm uses a “double-check system” that calls for one qualified operator to set
up a production process and a second operator to verify that the setup was done
correctly.

When the manufacturing process is complete, finished products are supplied to
the manufacturer in kit form. Each kit consists of two 1/4-inch-thick spacers
and two 1/8-inch-thick units. Hundreds of these kits are delivered each month.

Benefits of Automation

The switch from manual to automated production offers many
benefits. The automated process is much more repeatable, which dramatically
reduces rejects. In addition, a consistent stream of high-quality products that
meet all requirements is produced.

The automated process produces helmet spacers 80% faster than the previous
process. It is also less costly, as it reduces assembly time. In addition, by
shutting down its in-house spacer-manufacturing operation, the manufacturer has
freed up a significant amount of space and labor that can now be devoted to
other tasks. Fabrico also manages the inventory of all the components used to
make the spacers.

Conclusion

OEMs
who manufacture products from flexible materials can benefit from contracting
with design and manufacturing firms that specialize in this type of work. These
firms can replace cumbersome manual operations with efficient automated
processes that speed up production and reduce costs. Some contract design and
manufacturing firms also offer sophisticated programs that assist with
inventory management. By eliminating in-house manufacturing operations and
related inventory-management tasks that don’t fall in their areas of expertise,
OEMs can devote space, labor, and other resources to core competencies that enhance
their bottom line.

Products

The Handbook of Sealant Technology provides an in-depth examination of sealants, reviewing their historical developments and fundamentals, adhesion theories and properties, and today’s wide range of applications.